Casing cutter



Jan. 13, 1931. e. A. LOWREY ET AL 1,788,579

CASING CUTTER Filed med. 4, 1926 Z a jNVENTORf I By M (f ATT RNEYQ Patented Jan. 13, 1931 UNITED: STATES P TENT oFEIcE GEORGE A. LOWREY, OF PELLY, AN D WALTER F. HALL, OF GOOSE GREEK, TEXAS casino: cur'rnn Application filed December 4, 1926. Serial No. 152,695.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a casing cutter.

One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described, specially designed for the purpose of cutting casing or pipe stuck in a well bore.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described embodying a cutter head adapted to be an- 'chored to an operating string and equipped with cutting members and means operatively connected with said cutters and adapted to be actuated by fluid pressure into cutting relation with the casing to be cut. A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means for relieving the pres- T sure in operating the stem, when the casing has been severed, to indicate to the operator, by the action of the pump supplying the pressure, that the casing, 01'' pipe, in the bore has been cut in two.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein I Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the cutter, partly in section.

Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and Figure 3 shows a fragmentary side elevation of the cutter.

drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numeral 1 designates the casing to be cut. The numeral 2 designates the cutter head whose upper end is'tubular forming Referring now more particularly to the flattened on each side and formed with a guide oint 3. The head has a central vertical earing 4, which terminates in the slot 5, at its lower end and working through the bearing 4 there is a tubular plunger rod 6 whose upper end has an adjustable cup shaped plunger '1 thereon which works in the cylinder 2. The plunger is held on its rod by means of the upper and lower lock nuts 8, 8, which are threaded on to the rod 6 above and below the plunger. Interposed between the, plunger and the lower end of the cylinder 2 and surrounding the rod 6 there is a coil spring 9. The upper end of the plunger rod 6 has the conventional valve seat 10 thereon controlled by the upwardly openin valve 11 which is confined by.the cage 12. he lower end of the plunger rod 6 works in a slot 5 and is flattened on each side to bring it flush with the adjacent part of the head2, as more 5' clearly shown in Figure 2. There are the opposit-ely disposed cutters 13, 13, pivoted to the head on opposite sides thereof and formed with the cutting edges or blades 14, 14. These cutters have the inwardly extended arms 15, 15, formed integral therewith whose inner ends have oblong bearings, as 17, and a bearing pin 18 is fitted throu h said bearings 17 and through the lower en of the plunger rod 6 as well, and retained in place by the nut 19.

The cutters are enclosed and protected by suitable housing plates 20, 20, which are fitted thereover and bolted to opposite sides of the flattened portion of the head. The cutter may be lowered into the casing to be cut, to the desired place, by a string of pipe and fluid under pressure then forced down through said string against the plunger 7 and the plunger will thereby be forced downwardly compressing the spring 9 and forcing the cutting blades 14 into contact with the casing and the string may then be rotated to rotate the cutting blades 14 about the casing and the plunger being under constant pressure the blades will be gradually forced out:

wardly until the casing is severed and when the casing is severed the plunger 7 clears the ports 21, 21, in the wall of the cylinder 2' others so that it is necessary to adjust the plunger 7 on the rod 6, to the end that itwill not clear the ports 21 on its downward movement until the casing has been severed by the 4 cutters. This adjustment may be readily accomplished by adjusting the lock nuts 8, 8,

to adjust the plunger as desired.

The valve 11 is provided so that if the casing is filled with fluid, as the cutter is let down through the'fluid, said valve will lift to permit the fluid to pass above the cutter be'cut to effect the severing of the pipe as the head is rotated, the edges of said blades which contact with the ad acent end of the severed section being shaped so as to be retracted inwardly, about the cutter pivots, by said adjacent end of the severed section upon upward movement of the head relative to said section In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

' GEORGE A. LOWREY.

WALTER F. HALL.

but will close to prevent the back-flow of fluid through the plunger rod 6.

What we claim is:

1. In a pipe cutter having a cutter head and a longitudinally movable cutter-actuator therein; outwardly movable cutters pivoted to the head, at one end, and whose other ends are formed into depending, outwardly turned, cutting blades, an inwardly extending arm carried by the pivoted end of each cutter, the inner end of each arm having an operative connection with said actuator 2. In a pipe cutter having a cutter head provided with a cylinder and a plunger in the cylinder; depending, outwardly movable cutters pivoted at their upper ends to the head and whose lower ends are provided with outwardly directed cutting means, an arm attached to each cutter and extending inwardly, the inner end of each arm being pivotally connected to said plunger, .each arm being longer than its corresponding cutter 3. A pipe cutter including a head having a. movable plunger therein, oppositely disposed cutters pivoted to the head and out.-

wardly movable and whose lower ends are formed with outwardly turned 'cutter blades, an inwardly extending arm attached to each cutter, the inner ends of said arms having pivotal connections with the plunger and detachable housing plates over the cutters and secured to the head.

4. An inside pipe cutter adapted to cut pipe in a well and including a cutter head,

a longitudinally movable cutter actuator in the head, outwardly movable cutters pivoted in the head and having outwardly directed blades provided with cutting edges arranged to describe an are as they move outwardly, said cutters having inward extensions operatively connected with said actuator, said head being rotatable in the pipe to 

